Digital Modular Radio: CC1310, CC1312 & CC1314 Explained

What Is a Digital Modular Radio?

A digital modular radio is a self‑contained wireless transceiver module that handles all RF tasks internally. It integrates the transceiver, power amplifier (PA), low‑noise amplifier (LNA), frequency reference, matching network, and antenna interface into a compact SMD package. The host communicates with it over a simple digital interface (usually SPI).

"Digital" means it transmits data using modern modulation schemes like FSK, GFSK, or OOK, not analog audio. For engineers, a digital modular radio eliminates months of RF design work and speeds time‑to‑market.

Most high‑performance digital modular radios today are built around Texas Instruments' SimpleLink™ CC13xx family of Sub‑1GHz wireless MCUs. Three key members are CC1310, CC1312, and CC1314.

CC1310 – The Proven Workhorse

The CC1310 launched the SimpleLink Sub‑1GHz platform and remains a reliable choice for cost‑sensitive, battery‑powered IoT devices.

Key specs:

• ARM® Cortex®‑M3 at 48 MHz

• Flash: 32–128 kB | RAM: 16–20 kB + 8 kB cache

• Sensitivity: −124 dBm @ 0.6 kbps

• Standby current: ~0.6 µA

• Supports 802.15.4g, Wireless M‑Bus, 6LoWPAN, MIOTY®, proprietary

Best for: Basic sensor nodes, remote monitoring, cost‑optimized designs.

CC1312 – Performance & Memory Upgrade

The CC1312 adds a Cortex‑M4F core with FPU and significantly more memory.

Key specs:

• ARM® Cortex®‑M4F with FPU at 48 MHz

• Flash: 352 kB | RAM: 80 kB + 8 kB cache

• Sensitivity: −121 dBm (long‑range mode)

• Cryptographic accelerators: AES 128/256, ECC, RSA, SHA2, TRNG

• Standby: 0.85 µA (80 kB RAM retention)

• Supports Zigbee, KNX RF, Wi‑SUN, and more

Best for: Protocol gateways, complex applications, OTA updates, and designs requiring hardware crypto acceleration. RF‑compatible with CC1310 on the same package.

CC1314 – The Security & Scale Leader

The CC1314 is the latest generation, built for secure, memory‑intensive, and multi‑protocol applications.

Key specs:

• ARM® Cortex®‑M33 with TrustZone technology

• Flash: 1 MB | RAM: 256 kB + 8 kB cache

• Sensitivity: −121 dBm @ 2.5 kbps

• Advanced security: secure boot, secure key storage, TrustZone, anti‑rollback, full SHA2 suite

• Standby: 0.98 µA (full SRAM retention)

• Supports Wi‑SUN, Amazon Sidewalk, DMM multi‑protocol, mioty®, M‑Bus

• Temperature range: −40°C to +105°C

• GPIO options: up to 46 (8×8 mm package)

Best for: High‑security applications (smart grid, medical), large protocol stacks, edge gateways, and future‑proof designs.

Quick Comparison Table

Coral RF Modules Based on CC13xx

Coral RF offers ready‑to‑use digital modular radios built on these chips, with output power from +14 dBm to +37 dBm (5W) and frequency coverage from 169 MHz to 1300 MHz.

Example modules:

• N532AS‑B (CC1310) – +31 dBm, 868/915 MHz, FSK, $8.60

• N536BS (CC1312) – +33 dBm, 433/868/915 MHz, $10.00

• N620PA (CC1312) – +27 dBm, 868/915 MHz, $7.00

• CC1314 modules – available on request

All modules feature SPI control, compact SMD packaging, industrial temperature range, and integrated TCXO for frequency stability.

Which One Should You Choose?

• CC1310 – Low‑cost, low‑power endpoints with modest memory needs.

• CC1312 – When you need more memory, FPU, and hardware crypto, or want to run Zigbee/KNX RF.

• CC1314 – For maximum memory (1 MB), highest security (TrustZone), or advanced protocols like Wi‑SUN and Amazon Sidewalk.

Summary

A digital modular radio is a complete RF subsystem in a small SMD package. TI's CC13xx family provides the brains: CC1310 for cost‑effective basics, CC1312 for performance and crypto, and CC1314 for security and scale. Coral RF turns these chips into production‑ready modules that simplify long‑range, low‑power IoT development.

Browse Coral RF CC13xx modules →

For datasheets or custom support, contact Coral RF directly.